The Chicago Tribune has just published an article about the Maior's, a homeless family living in a 10 x 25 foot bunker filled with a large sofa, X-box, and big-screen TV. The Maior's 12-year-old son says the situation is "really not that bad" even though he uses a flashlight to do his homework and cleans himself up in fast-food restaurant bathrooms. The parents have filled out dozens of job applications, but with no response.
I mentioned in previous posts how I want my project to represent the new homeless, and how this can happen to anyone, "even your next door neighbor". This piece of the article echoes that:
According to recently released data, McHenry County's homeless enrollment increased by 125 percent from the 2007-08 school year to the 2008-09 school year -- the biggest hike in the six-county metropolitan area. "These are not people in cardboard boxes," said Maggie Dempsey, homeless liaison coordinator for School District U-46, which covers 11 communities in the northwest suburbs. "These are the people next door."
I have e-mailed the author of the article to tell her about my project and ask about how she went about profiling this family. I am curious because I have found it much easier to communicate with the homeless directly (tent community) rather than through shelters. It will be interesting to see if she responds.
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